I have been gardening for about 40 years,but still have problems
growing leeks which are very large or which do not go to seed.My
allotment is on sandy acid soil and I always add some compost to my
leek patch.I plant about six inches apart,and plant in a hole about 8"
deep using a dibber and water in.My main variety is Musselburgh,but I
have tried several others.This year in particular was quite wet,but
now several have started to produce seed heads as usual.What is the
secret?

"michael" wrote in message
...
I have been gardening for about 40 years,but still have problems
growing leeks which are very large or which do not go to seed.My
allotment is on sandy acid soil and I always add some compost to my
leek patch.I plant about six inches apart,and plant in a hole about 8"
deep using a dibber and water in.My main variety is Musselburgh,but I
have tried several others.This year in particular was quite wet,but
now several have started to produce seed heads as usual.What is the
secret?

My allotment is on gritty acid soil and I crop from mid Nov thru to mid May.
I plant seed in 2" deep trays on the windowsill in mid May and transfer them
out when they are 1" tall. I keep them in the trays until 1st Aug.

I transplant them onto the allotment on the 1st August. About half the 150
or so plants are Musselburgh and I'll expect half a dozen will go to seed,
but this won't be until May '09. I plant into last years potato patch, which
would have been manured the previous Winter. The plants aren't patricularly
large, but there are lots of em'. I'm guessing here, but I would suggest
delay planting and use compost from the heap, rather than manure. Any
thoughts?

Bertie

"michael" wrote ...
I have been gardening for about 40 years,but still have problems
growing leeks which are very large or which do not go to seed.My
allotment is on sandy acid soil and I always add some compost to my
leek patch.I plant about six inches apart,and plant in a hole about 8"
deep using a dibber and water in.My main variety is Musselburgh,but I
have tried several others.This year in particular was quite wet,but
now several have started to produce seed heads as usual.What is the
secret?

From what you say I imagine you are planting them too early, ours are no way
big enough to go to seed yet and it will be well into next year before they
do. The extra compost may contribute to your problems as we plant our onions
etc in the last year of our 4 year rotation (manure on year 1) and just
throw on some Growmore and/or water with some seaweed extract to get them
growing.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

On 22 Sep, 14:39, "Bertie Doe" wrote:
"michael" wrote in message

...

I have been gardening for about 40 years,but still have problems
growing leeks which are very large or which do not go to seed.My
allotment is on sandy acid soil and I always add some compost to my
leek patch.I plant about six inches apart,and plant in a hole about 8"
deep using a dibber and water in.My main variety is Musselburgh,but I
have tried several others.This year in particular was quite wet,but
now several have started to produce seed heads as usual.What is the
secret?

My allotment is on gritty acid soil and I crop from mid Nov thru to mid May.
I plant seed in 2" deep trays on the windowsill in mid May and transfer them
out when they are 1" tall. I keep them in the trays until 1st Aug.

I transplant them onto the allotment on the 1st August. About half the 150
or so plants are Musselburgh and I'll expect half a dozen will go to seed,
but this won't be until May '09. I plant into last years potato patch, which
would have been manured the previous Winter. The plants aren't patricularly
large, but there are lots of em'. I'm guessing here, but I would suggest
delay planting and use compost from the heap, rather than manure. Any
thoughts?

Bertie

Maybe you have the answer.When you say you plant seed in 2" trays and
then transfer them out,do you mean into modules or other 2" trays but
more widely spaced?Do you then keep them(outside I assume)in these
planted out trays until August?I have been planting out in May/June
but have never thought of putting them in as late as August.What do
you use the ground for after your leeks come up in,say June 09?
regards,michael

"michael" wrote in message
On 22 Sep, 14:39, "Bertie Doe" wrote:
"michael" wrote in message

My allotment is on gritty acid soil and I crop from mid Nov thru to mid
May.
I plant seed in 2" deep trays on the windowsill in mid May and transfer
them
out when they are 1" tall. I keep them in the trays until 1st Aug.

I transplant them onto the allotment on the 1st August. About half the
150
or so plants are Musselburgh and I'll expect half a dozen will go to
seed,
but this won't be until May '09. I plant into last years potato patch,
which
would have been manured the previous Winter. The plants aren't
patricularly
large, but there are lots of em'. I'm guessing here, but I would suggest
delay planting and use compost from the heap, rather than manure. Any
thoughts?

Bertie

Maybe you have the answer.When you say you plant seed in 2" trays and
then transfer them out,do you mean into modules or other 2" trays but
more widely spaced?Do you then keep them(outside I assume)in these
planted out trays until August?I have been planting out in May/June
but have never thought of putting them in as late as August.What do
you use the ground for after your leeks come up in,say June 09?
regards,michael

I sow the seed into 2" deep trays. The trays are salvaged from supermarket
meat trays, say 2 x 7 x 9. I puncture holes in the bottom, then place them
in one of those long windowsill trays, say 9" x 18".

Sow them in mid-May, transfer the trays to the backyard in Mid-June to
harden off. Make sure they get some sun on them and keep them watered. By
mid-August, they should be about 9" tall, remove them from the trays and
plant them into the ground.

I'll be cropping from Nov 08 thru to May 09. I start off about 20 luttuce
seedlings in the greenhouse. As space becomes available in the leek plot, I
transplant the luttace into the leek plot and start off another 20 lettuce.

Bertie

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"michael" wrote ...
I have been gardening for about 40 years,but still have problems
growing leeks which are very large or which do not go to seed.My
allotment is on sandy acid soil and I always add some compost to my
leek patch.I plant about six inches apart,and plant in a hole about 8"
deep using a dibber and water in.My main variety is Musselburgh,but I
have tried several others.This year in particular was quite wet,but
now several have started to produce seed heads as usual.What is the
secret?

From what you say I imagine you are planting them too early, ours are no
way big enough to go to seed yet and it will be well into next year before
they do.

Oh I'm so glad you said that! I've never grown leeks before, this year I
started them in the greenhouse then dibbed them into the open ground, about
May I suppose. It wasn't raining :-)

But in my innocence I never thought about them going to seed. they're quite
good now and I'd use some if I needed them but I didn't take note of when to
pull them - or if they over-winter. I assume they wouldn't.

The extra compost may contribute to your problems as we plant our onions
etc in the last year of our 4 year rotation (manure on year 1) and just
throw on some Growmore and/or water with some seaweed extract to get them
growing.

I have a three year rotation because I only have three plots and no it's not
possible to divide them! There were four but one is now a fruit cage. When
any land is fallow the banties are let onto it, I can control their range by
movable chicken wire hurdles.

So do I leave them in over the cold months or will they suffer? That's
assuming I haven't used them. That plot is shared with a few carrots, some
onions and salsify.

Mary
in Leeds

"Mary Fisher" wrote ((snip))
But in my innocence I never thought about them going to seed. they're
quite good now and I'd use some if I needed them but I didn't take note of
when to pull them - or if they over-winter. I assume they wouldn't.


So do I leave them in over the cold months or will they suffer? That's
assuming I haven't used them. That plot is shared with a few carrots, some
onions and salsify.

They are quite hardy so leave them in. They just get bigger as the winter
progresses and can be used any time, and then will flower and go to seed
next spring.
BTW the flowers are rather nice and can be used indoors provided you put a
little Bleach in the water to kill the leek smell (like the florists do).

--
Regards
Bob Hobden

"Bob Hobden" wrote in message
...

"Mary Fisher" wrote ((snip))
But in my innocence I never thought about them going to seed. they're
quite good now and I'd use some if I needed them but I didn't take note
of when to pull them - or if they over-winter. I assume they wouldn't.


So do I leave them in over the cold months or will they suffer? That's
assuming I haven't used them. That plot is shared with a few carrots,
some onions and salsify.

They are quite hardy so leave them in. They just get bigger as the winter
progresses and can be used any time, and then will flower and go to seed
next spring.
BTW the flowers are rather nice and can be used indoors provided you put a
little Bleach in the water to kill the leek smell (like the florists do).

Thanks a lot, Bob!

Mary